Pithecellobium guadalupense

 

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Blackbead  Pithecellobium guadalupense

Blackbead is found in coastal uplands throughout South Florida, the Keys, the Caribbean and Tropical America.  It is a tough,  multi-stem shrub, or small tree (15'-20' typical mature height range).  

Salt- and drought-tolerant, it has multiple uses in naturalized landscaping situations.  

Plant one in a conspicuous place, to show off the pink, fragrant flowers.  You can leave it as a shrub, or trim it into a small tree.  

From January to April, and again from September to December, it becomes covered with clusters of puffy flowers, about an inch in diameter.  

Their sweet fragrance causes you to stop what you are doing and inhale deeply.  You smile and say, "Mmmmmm. Aaaaaah."  Butterflies and other pollinators are right beside you, mmm-ing and aah-ing as well.

Seed pods, 2"-4" in length, develop from the flowers.  The pods split open and the seeds spring out, attached to red arils.  Birds enjoy the arils, which are sweet when ripe.  

The name of this plant describes the seeds, which were traditionally used to make jewelry. 

Branches are dark and twisty, if you care to venture inside the canopy.  

Allow it to interact with your other native screening plants to form a thicket. Your neighbors will no longer be able to peer through to see what you are doing.  

At left, naturalized landscape using blackbead.

 

3-gal. plants, about 24" high.  

 

 

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Last updated:  01/22/2008